Book Tour, 5 Star Review & #Giveaway! Worth the Risk by @Claudia__Connor @TastyBookTours

Worth the Risk
The McKinney Brothers # 2

By: Claudia Connor

Releasing Feb 3^rd, 2015

Loveswept

When a McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and overwhelming desire are never far behind.

Two hearts locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days coaching children through injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at a time. She knows all too well how violence can change a child and leave scars that never heal. It’s easy for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is the thought of facing her own harrowing past.

Millionaire playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself. Five years ago he encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare won. No matter what he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . . or so he believes.

Both desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s intrigued. What he doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he never wanted to go again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . . a side that would scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance to win her trust is to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to protect.

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In many ways, this is an intense read. Some of the plot lines are very serious subjects. It certainly gave the story tremendous depth. However, that’s not to say that the book is without the lighthearted and/or steamy moments. This was a fantastic novel.

Hannah is a survivor. She endured a nightmare that is unimaginable. At the same time, she is also hiding from the world. I certainly can’t blame her for the way she lives. The fact that she even lives alone is a huge statement as to her strength and determination to rebound from the trauma in her past. She has the love and support of 4 incredible brothers, but they are also over protective and their constant hovering impedes her ability to fully heal.

Hannah is a really great character. She easily became real to me. Her personality and experiences fit together and I really got to know her. She becomes a friend to the reader, someone you have empathy for and wish that as a friend you could help her. She is also admirable, and I couldn’t help but step back from the book and think if I was as strong as she is.

Stephen…oh Stephen. This man is a walking contradiction. He has endured a similar trauma as Hannah, except that it was not him, but rather a loved one. As is often the case, Stephen is riddled with guilt over what happened in his past. When he meets Hannah, he knows immediately that they should be together, but he fights it hard, refusing to believe that there is anything there beyond attraction. When the first hint of something more presents itself, he runs the other way, hurting Hannah in the process and causing her to question the choice she has made to step out of her comfort zone for him.

Stephen is somewhat the typical tortured hero. And yet, he comes with his own uniqueness as a character. Once he accepts that he wants to be with Hannah, he still has trouble seeing a future with her, he doesn’t want to open his heart, to feel. So, he continues to try and keep it shut down. But there is such goodness in him and the reader falls in love with this damaged her who is so full of love and caring but just can’t see beyond his pain.

The story is heavy and sweet all at the same time. It’s a tale of healing, growth, and love. Hannah and Stephen have an undeniable spark between them that burns hot when they finally give in to it. This book is excellent and so worth the read. 

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Claudia Connor attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and spending her days putting on paper the stories in her head. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.

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